TOM IN TENNESSEE
New member
Met my bud,Bill with the SE LA leases at the parking deck beside his office on the 285 Atlanta perimeter at 3:00 ET Wed. Transferred my stuff and took off for the toe of the boot in LA. Stopped in Slidel and picked up airboat outta buddy's front yard where it had been left for us and headed on to Cypress Cove Marina in Venice. Got there about 12:15 CT. Napped in truck til Cajun bud got off work from the oil rig and waked us around 4:45.
Off to the marsh! Went to North lease as it is only around 15 minutes from marina. Marty and I got in a permanent blind in the saw grass after throwing out a few Teal, Gray and Sprig decoys...thru a pair of Black duck decoys in edge of weeds for Mottle ducks. We nailed burlap to blind while Bill hid the airboat and pirogued to us. Three minutes til shooting time. Bill just got his gun loaded when five Mottled Ducks floated over the decoys. One shot apeice and our Mottled limit was done deal. Picked up decoys at 8:30 as 9 BWT, 5 grays and a Smiley had decided to die by then.
Spent a good deal of time adding some brush to a couple of blinds and clearing Roseau Cane from blocking another---82 degrees---we are dying...scout a little and flush a bunch of birds, find a place to hide pirougues and hunt from them Fri. Ate our convience store Thanksgiving Dinner and watched football.
Friday---back to North lease. Hide a pirogue in the cut grass and stabilize it with pvc pipes ( our pirogues have "spud" holes in each end...stick a pipe thru and they are stable enuff you can sit on a bucket and jump up and shoot with min wobble) Bill hides the airboat and sets his pirogue for him and Cody, Choc Lab about 5 yds from us....picking up decoys at 9:15....about half and half BWT and Grays.
Head down the Pass to the South lease about 20 minutes to get a couple of other permanent blinds ready to hunt and look for Sprigs, Red Heads and Cans....saw a few Sprigs but none of the others or dos gris (blue bill) either. Cleared cane from one blind, other was totally covered up by cane....ran over quite a bit with airboat but it is not yet huntable and has been one of our best producers over the years. Stayed til rain caught us, had to pull over and sit it out for a long while as it was too hard to see to run the boat.
Marina resturant open! Ate a bunch of sweet Plaquemines Parish oysters with a cold Abita.
Bill and Marty want to go back out so we call Marty's brother just up the road. I put 12plucked Teal in two bags and label them as to species, date killed and name and lic number of hunter then write GIFT to Mark on them. I deliver while they go back out. I rest my neck and old knees by watching Auburn-Bama game. They come back with 3 Sprigs, 2 Widgeon and 2 Grays. We fire up grill at motel and eat six for supper. We are now 11 ducks short of possesion limit.
Saturday---go to North lease again as Marty has to leave by 8:30 to be back at work on rig by 11:00. Kill 2 Sprigs, a lost GWT, 3 BWT and 3 Grays. Bring Marty in, watch some football and eat some more oysters. Determine we are two ducks short and head for South Lease. Skunked and it was a damn cold ride back---44F, 25mph NE wind in our face and running 25 to 30 in airboat. Watch end of AR upsetting LSU...gloomy bunch at resturant! Go to sleep watching UGA squeak out win over Tech. Have a good laff at BSU expense.
Sunday---what the heck, let's go back out---we lack two ducks. Go to North lease again and after hour and a half have one dang Gray! Bill pirogues back to airboat .Just as he cranks it, another Gray gives me a breast up!
Back to Marina, load up, check out and hit the road. Drop airboat off at Marks just up the road for Bill to use next weekend with business clients and head to Hotlanta...get there around 9 and I am home by around 11...good annual hunt with close friends! Total of 54 ducks and 6 coots for Marty's Dad to cook and make gizzard gumbo!
None of us brought a camera.
Off to the marsh! Went to North lease as it is only around 15 minutes from marina. Marty and I got in a permanent blind in the saw grass after throwing out a few Teal, Gray and Sprig decoys...thru a pair of Black duck decoys in edge of weeds for Mottle ducks. We nailed burlap to blind while Bill hid the airboat and pirogued to us. Three minutes til shooting time. Bill just got his gun loaded when five Mottled Ducks floated over the decoys. One shot apeice and our Mottled limit was done deal. Picked up decoys at 8:30 as 9 BWT, 5 grays and a Smiley had decided to die by then.
Spent a good deal of time adding some brush to a couple of blinds and clearing Roseau Cane from blocking another---82 degrees---we are dying...scout a little and flush a bunch of birds, find a place to hide pirougues and hunt from them Fri. Ate our convience store Thanksgiving Dinner and watched football.
Friday---back to North lease. Hide a pirogue in the cut grass and stabilize it with pvc pipes ( our pirogues have "spud" holes in each end...stick a pipe thru and they are stable enuff you can sit on a bucket and jump up and shoot with min wobble) Bill hides the airboat and sets his pirogue for him and Cody, Choc Lab about 5 yds from us....picking up decoys at 9:15....about half and half BWT and Grays.
Head down the Pass to the South lease about 20 minutes to get a couple of other permanent blinds ready to hunt and look for Sprigs, Red Heads and Cans....saw a few Sprigs but none of the others or dos gris (blue bill) either. Cleared cane from one blind, other was totally covered up by cane....ran over quite a bit with airboat but it is not yet huntable and has been one of our best producers over the years. Stayed til rain caught us, had to pull over and sit it out for a long while as it was too hard to see to run the boat.
Marina resturant open! Ate a bunch of sweet Plaquemines Parish oysters with a cold Abita.
Bill and Marty want to go back out so we call Marty's brother just up the road. I put 12plucked Teal in two bags and label them as to species, date killed and name and lic number of hunter then write GIFT to Mark on them. I deliver while they go back out. I rest my neck and old knees by watching Auburn-Bama game. They come back with 3 Sprigs, 2 Widgeon and 2 Grays. We fire up grill at motel and eat six for supper. We are now 11 ducks short of possesion limit.
Saturday---go to North lease again as Marty has to leave by 8:30 to be back at work on rig by 11:00. Kill 2 Sprigs, a lost GWT, 3 BWT and 3 Grays. Bring Marty in, watch some football and eat some more oysters. Determine we are two ducks short and head for South Lease. Skunked and it was a damn cold ride back---44F, 25mph NE wind in our face and running 25 to 30 in airboat. Watch end of AR upsetting LSU...gloomy bunch at resturant! Go to sleep watching UGA squeak out win over Tech. Have a good laff at BSU expense.
Sunday---what the heck, let's go back out---we lack two ducks. Go to North lease again and after hour and a half have one dang Gray! Bill pirogues back to airboat .Just as he cranks it, another Gray gives me a breast up!
Back to Marina, load up, check out and hit the road. Drop airboat off at Marks just up the road for Bill to use next weekend with business clients and head to Hotlanta...get there around 9 and I am home by around 11...good annual hunt with close friends! Total of 54 ducks and 6 coots for Marty's Dad to cook and make gizzard gumbo!
None of us brought a camera.
